Final Fantasy: Dark Legacy
by Dark Knight Cecil
Summary: The crystal has shattered, bringing with it destruction, woe, and insanity. Now the only hope for our world lies in the hands of the son of the most corrupt and evil man on the planet.
1. A dark legacy is born

            **Note**:  I do not own the name Final Fantasy or the word Squaresoft.  I just thought they sounded so cool I'd use them.  Nor do I own any companies with the name of Square or Squaresoft.  

             

Final Fantasy 

DARK LEGACY

            It was a dark night in the kingdom of Candor.  The streets, normally neat and polished, were now broken and in such disrepair that travel by anything other than foot was firmly advised against.  Buildings that once sparkled white now were all a uniform dull gray, with some in a worse state than the streets.  It rained constantly during the nights, making the still mornings humid and nearly unbearable.  The last change in the seasons was nearly a year ago, when a beautiful spring fell into a hellish, endless, summer.  All crops died within a month, and the livestock all had to be put down to cut down on the consumption of the precious few resources left.  Children, too weak to last on the meager rations of food, had slowly died over the night.  The town graveyard had gotten so full of the bodies of the dead recently that graves were popping up on every street corner.  Burials were becoming so common that they were now seen as an everyday occurrence in the kingdom of Candor.   

And yet, through all this, through all the suffering of her people, Candor's king celebrated.  Eating food imported from neighboring kingdoms, and drinking wine from far off lands, King Candor was a very happy soul.  Happy indeed.  Just two hours ago he had three prisoners drawn and quartered in the town square because their complaints while languishing in their comfortable jail cells had gotten too annoying for the royal ears.  King Candor was so pleased; his majesty had commanded that all citizens in his kingdom were now required to pay homage to his royalty in any way possible every day.  Be it an offering of their daily rations, offering their homes so that his soldiers could have a warm bed to sleep in at night, or even their own lives if need be.  That made King Candor happiest.  Knowing that his own subjects would take their own lives and give it to him as a gift to his Majesty made him so happy.  And when the king is happy, the kingdom is happy.

            One day, in King Candor's happiest times, he delighted to know that a woman had offered her own body for the pleasure of his majesty.  The king wasted no time in taking advantage of this offering.  He immediately ordered her to be swept from the streets and sent to the royal palace to be washed and fed in preparation of this wonderful gift.  While the woman fed, King Candor watched from across the room intently.  Maybe if she pleased him enough he would give this woman the honor of mothering the royal prince.  Ahh!  That would be a marvelous gift indeed!  A son of his own.  One person he could teach all of his morals and ethics to.  Someone who would Bring his kingdom to a higher level than he could ever take it.  Yes!  King Candor would have a son.  And his son would save his kingdom.

In a ruined home near the outskirts of the decaying kingdom of Candor, three figures stood.  Their faces red with not yet dried blood, their swords decorated wit the same scarlet hue.  Different parts of the figure's armor suits were either dented or missing altogether.  One of the figures helmets was sitting useless beside him; a dent the size of a mace impact decorated the left side.  Fortunately, he wasn't wearing the helmet at the time; the dropped mace of a killed palace guard had hit it, the helm had been removed a short time previously.  And yet, no matter how bruised and bloodied the tree looked, they had the air of triumph about them.  These three had infiltrated the most fortified of palaces to rescue a single person.  A person that, if left where he was, would certainly have spelled the death of not only these three, but the lives of possibly everyone in all the seven kingdoms.  This wasn't a prison break, or liberation from slavery.  No, it was both and neither.  The one they had rescued was held in a luxury room with every imaginable amenity, and guarded by more men than the largest bank vault.  The one they had rescued was none other than King Candor's infant son.  Rescued from the madness and evil that was his father.  Rescued from the dark fate that would almost certainly had befallen him.  

But even as victorious as these three felt, they knew that their trial was not done.  

"The child must be taken to the seventh kingdom!" Pronounced the tallest of the three, "My cousin can properly see to it that he be brought to a proper place to be judged."

"Judge an infant?!" Exclaimed the figure with the helm beside him, "Did you lose all sense in the battle?  This infant has committed no crimes.  This child has done nothing that deserves judgment!"

"But he is the spawn of the scourge of Candor!" the tallest nearly spat.

"No, Halek is right, Galen." Said the last figure.  This one was most the largest and strongest of the three.  Not only physically, but mentally as well. This one was holding the precious child in his arms, rocking it slightly so as not to awaken it and alert the already wary soldiers now patrolling the town in full force. "This child has committed no crimes, and as such is not fit to be judged.  This child will be dealt with, yes, but not in any punishing way."

"What?" Galen asked, his face a mask of confusion.

"Galen, have you heard of the legend of the phoenix?"

"Yes, yes I have.  Any child knows that tale!"

"Yes, the tale of the phoenix is very well known.  The story of a bird, born of fire, lives and dies in fire, only to be reborn again."

"Yes, yes.  But what does this have to do with this child?"

"As it is well known" the leader said, finding a nearby fallen timber to rest his weary legs, "All legends have a base in fact.  The phoenix legend has been traced by the historians of the third kingdom to either be an explanation of the sun, or a prophecy for the future."

"Prophecy?"

"In the original text of the legend, the phoenix speaks a name before dying once more: "Haleem".  Translated, haleem means simply "light", or "rebirth".  Over time, it has been interpreted that haleem means nothing more than a rebirth flame, or, the sunrise.  But what if haleem is no the sunrise, but a man?  A man who will bring the world out of death and bring with him new life."

Galen was awed at this. "You-you mean to say that THIS child is this 'Haleem' character?"

"Yes."

"Impossible" Halek snorted. "How can people from thousands of years ago know about someone from the present?"

"Indeed, that fact is odd, but it is still a fact.  The ancients knew of the death of our world and the one who would restore it."

"But this "Haleem" is still a child!" Galen said, removing his helmet.

"Yes, and that is why he must be protected until he is ready to fulfill the prophecy." 

"I'll take the responsibility!" Galen shouted. "I was the one who personally liberated the child from his crib, he is mine to look after."

"No, Galen," the seated knight said, "You are not ready to care for another.  Besides, the fourth kingdom needs you.  You are their only knight.  Just as I cannot care for this young one."  With that, the knight gently set the child on the plank and removed his helmet.  Immediately long, gray hair spilled out alongside his head, wet and messy with sweat.  Along his forehead as a strip of cloth bandaging a cut inflicted only recently.

"I am no longer capable of caring for a child.  Besides, I already have two of my own."  The little bit of humor seemed to calm the already tense mood of the three.  "That means only you, Halek, are capable of caring for this child."

"No." Halek said, turning toward the decaying town of Candor.  "I do not wish to do this"

"But Halek," Galen interrupted, "You are the only one capable of seeing that this child grows to maturity."

"No.  I don't like children.  And besides, he'd…cramp my style."

"And what style is that?" Galen implored.

"If you haven't already guessed, I'm a loner.  I don't need or want to be with anyone.  I'm only a traveling knight for hire.  A child would only slow me down."

"Then why did you decide to fight with us?" the older one asked, picking the child up once more.

"…Because it was the right thing to do."

"And it is the right thing to take care of this child."

"Fine.  But how would I feed him?"

"You would be surprised at how many people there are out there who would be willing to help you on this grandest of quests, Halek."

Before Halek could respond, Galen shouted as loud as possible, "The soldiers have found us!  We must defend ourselves!"

"Quickly, Halek, the older one said, donning his hem once more, take the child and go.  We will handle them."

"But you're injured and Galen's armor is nearly gone!"

"GO!" Galen yelled, running into the approaching column of Candor's soldiers.

"You have had your share of kills in the palace today.  Let us improve our scores, huh?" the older asked, picking up his sword and throwing Halek's to him.  "Go, before they catch you."

Halek sheathed his sword and gave the older one a deep bow before taking the child in his arms.  "It has been an honor fighting with you, sir Cid."

"And you, traveling knight Halek." Cid replied before giving the military salute of the fifth kingdom, and then joining Galen in the fray.

Halek watched for a few seconds more before running toward the boundaries of the kingdom of Candor.  He ran as fast as his legs could carry him.  Unfortunately, the constand shuddering awakened the child, prompting a shrill, loud cry.

"There he is!" shouted a soldier from the fight.

Halek had no other choice.  Stripping off his armor and discarding his sword, Halek again bounded away, this time much faster.  The soldiers, donned in full armor, could not hope to catch up with him.  Halek ran until morning, bearing the constant cries of the child.  Eventually, Halek told himself that he had done enough running, and willed himself to find a spot to rest.  For the first time in hours, Halek took a long look at his surroundings.  He was in the heart of a deep forest, the forest that marks the boundary between Candor and the other six kingdoms.  Here was neutral territory, here was a place where he was safe.

After finding a nearby spring, and enjoying a nice dip in the water, which was surprisingly warm, Halek walked over to the child.

"One day I'll tell you what this was all about," he said, lifting the child, "One day I'll tell you everything.  One day you will fulfill your destiny."

With that, Halek walked deeper into the forest, looking for a place to settle down in a nice, safe place.

King Candor was not happy anymore.  That bitch had betrayed him!  She gave him a son, and then stole him!  She would pay.  But no regular torture or pain would EVER pay for the debt she was in now.  For her sentence, he would need to consult with something greater.  The crystal.  Each of the seven kingdoms had one, and it provided the bounty and personality of each kingdom.  King Candor's was the most beautiful.  So large and smooth, with just a hint of color, and a playful crack that spread along and entire side.  Some would call this crystal flawed and broken.  But they are all wrong.  This crystal was the most beautiful of them all.  It was beautiful because every time King candor looked into it, he got to talk with someone very special.

Peering into the crystal, which was resting on a velvet pillow in the center of his chambers, King Candor began to speak, "Oh mighty lord!  Oh power of powers! Grace me with your presence!"

This was where the true beauty of the crystal showed.  As those words were uttered, the crystal glowed a brilliant black.  After a few moments, a red eye appeared, squinting, looking, peering into the room.  And then, perhaps most spectacular of all, a voice spoke:

"You have summoned me?"  

**NOTE 2:  **This is the first chapter of a grand story.  I have the next few parts ready, but I'll wait to see if you nice people will review for me, you will, right?

Please?  Anyhoo, this is my first story to be loaded, so don't be too hard, ok?  I'll give a cookie to whoever finds out what "Candor" means and why I chose that name for this obviously bad place.


	2. Five years later

Chapter Two

            The forest that separated the kingdom of Candor from the rest of the world was always known as a harsh, dark, and forbidden zone.  Many an explorer was lost forever in the forest's dark foliage.  Some did return, though, but many in pieces.  It took hundreds of brave men and women nearly a century to cut and burn a nearly safe path through the forest, linking Candor to the rest of the world.  The new path brought goods, food, immigrants, and, most importantly, the crystal to the kingdom.  In just ten years, Candor was transformed from a small, backwoods town to a huge, prosperous kingdom.  

            But look at it now.  With Candor slipping just a little more each day into darkness, the path has been overrun by the forest; again removing Candor from the world.  With so much forest restored, the population of so-called "monsters" increased rapidly, making living anywhere near the forest a deadly endeavor.   

            And yet, deep in the heart of the most primal and dangerous place on the planet, a man and a small boy make a comfortable living.  The man, a young former knight now turned farmer has been looking over the boy for nearly five years, making very sure to keep every detail of their common, bloody, past away from him.  The former knight had buried his sword and armor long ago, far from the small homestead he had built from the local supplies, mud, moss, and wood.  It had been hard just to keep the boy alive in the first year, never having enough foods or water to sustain so young a person.  Fortunately, a passing herd of chocobos gave the knight a chance to gather food and milk for the boy.  Chocobo milk was said to be superior to cow's milk in everything but taste, and a starving baby with nothing else to eat WILL drink a long gulp of chocobo milk if he's hungry enough.  The man remembered those endless nights, gently rocking and cooing to try and get the noisy child asleep.  There were times when the man wanted nothing more than to just take the baby to the nearest bandersnatch hole and drop the baby in and walk away.  But, as time went on, he realized that he actually…loved this kid…when he wasn't crying, screaming, or puking on everything clean he had.  

            Five years have passed since that fateful day.  Five years since that night when everything he knew changed.  A day beginning in blood and ending in blood.  From that first storming of the castle with nearly ten men, to escaping, barely, with just his life intact.  But it was all not in vain.  If the child hadn't been rescued from the corrupt clutches of King Candor, he would have raised him to be just as evil and insane as himself, if not more so.  And Candor, and possibly the world, would never see the light of day again.  

            At five years old, the child, named Geoffrey by the former knight, was beginning to show the signs that he was something more than a normal child.  Just two nights ago, when a rouge male chocobo began to eat the small garden tended by Geoffrey, he simply walked over to the beast, calmly put his hands around the bird's neck, and snapped it.  Only the most experienced, or crazy, chocobo tamer could pull that stunt.  When Geoffrey was three, he began to name every constellation he could see through the thick canopy, and some he couldn't see.  Of course he was saying words like 'tawous' and 'oorrian', but it was too eerie to ignore.  The man remembered when he was that age, and how happy he was just finding a stick, or friendly dog to play with.  

            And now, the man watched Geoffrey sketch accurate mathematical equations about the stability of their small home in the soft ground below him.

            "Uncle Halek?" Geoffrey asked, Halek made sure the child KNEW that he was not the father, that he was just a distant uncle who watched Geoffrey for now, "How tall is the house?"

            "I don't know, Geoffrey, but I'd guess about ten feet."

            "Thank you."  Another thing Halek drilled into Geoffrey was manners.  Being the son of a corrupt, vile, and evil man didn't mean he was somehow exempt from using manners.  

            After a few more minutes, Geoffrey looked up from his work and began to look around at the base of the house.

            "What are you looking for, Geoffrey?"

            "According to my calculations, this entire structure can be demolished by simply…" Geoffrey trailed off for a second as he spotted something, and then yanking very hard at a twig poking conspicuously out.

            Too late, Halek realized what Geoffrey was doing, and ran to stop him.  All too late.  Geoffrey managed to yank out the twig just as Halek grabbed the five year old out of the way.  The entire homestead came crashing down in seconds, crushing everything inside, and ruining Geoffrey's small garden.  

            "Oops."  Was all he could mutter.

            "Geoffrey?  Are you alright?"  Halek asked.

            "…I guess."

            "Then you'd better start running."

            Geoffrey immediately got to his feet and took off into the forest as fast as his legs could carry him.  Halek gave the kid a few seconds head start before going after him.

            Geoffrey had never been so happy and afraid at the same time ever.  He had actually discovered a weakness in their house, and all uncle Halek could do was get mad!  Although Halek didn't know it, Geoffrey knew of the sword buried out in the woods.  And he knew that if something got Halek mad enough, he would use it.  And he probably was going for it now.  How stupid he was!  All his life, uncle Halek told him to respect others and be nice, but if you see a weakness in someone, aren't you supposed to point it out to him so he can fix it?  I guess not according to uncle Halek, Geoffrey thought. 

            Geoffrey ran and ran as far and fast as he could.  But he was only a kid, and even though he had lots of energy, it still could run out.  Geoffrey could tell that he had to stop soon.  His side hurt, his feet hurt, his chest hurt, and his head hurt.  Gotta stop, he told himself.  Geoffrey found a large boulder he could rest against and promptly sat down to catch his breath.

            Unfortunately, his exhaustion prevented him from noticing the dark figure that slowly loomed behind him…

            "GOTCHA!" Halek yelled as loud as he could behind Geoffrey, scaring the living daylights out of the kid.  The scream was loud enough to rustle up a group of small animals from a nearby bush.  

            "DON'T HURT ME!" Geoffrey pleaded, trying as hard as he could to inch away, but Halek quickly put his arms around the child, effectively trapping him, "Please?"

            "Don't worry, you won't feel a thing when I'm through with you." Halek said as cryptically as possible.

            "What-what are you going to do?" Geoffrey was already trembling with fear.

            "Something I've only done once.  Something so horrible that the last man to experience it DIED in minutes."

            "NO!" Geoffrey was doing the best he could to get away.

            "Yes!"

            "NO! Please no."

            "Sorry, you only made me do this."  Halek slowly removed one of his arms from holding Geoffrey, the child was so afraid he probably didn't notice his new avenue of escape.  Halek's hand went to the boy's neck, slowly wrapping around it, beginning to…

            "TICKLE!" Halek exclaimed.

            Geoffrey immediately realized the reality of the situation and did the only thing a five year old child could do: laugh.

            "Stop, please!" Geoffrey would say every so often.

            "Not until you say 'uncle'"

            "Okay, okay, uncle, UNCLE!" Geoffrey said between laughs.

            With that, Halek released his hold on Geoffrey, letting him once again rest on the rock.

            "I thought you were gonna kill me, uncle Halek,"

            "Now why would I do a foolish thing like that?"

            "I DID ruin the house, you know."

            "I know, and that WAS bad, but at least you didn't hurt anyone."

            "I'm sorry."

            "I kind of guessed that."

            "What are we gonna do now?  Rebuild the house?"

            Halek stopped for a few minutes.  He had really not thought about that.  With no home, and nothing really left out here in the woods, perhaps it was time to move on.

            "Well, kid, how would you like to go away for a while?"

            "Go away to where?"

            "I don't really know, but anywhere is better than here, right?"

            Geoffrey felt a little sad at this.  "But this is my home."

            "Come on, kiddo, let's go and see the world.  Believe me, there's a lot more out there than just some trees and animals."

            "I guess, Uncle Halek."

            "C'mon, kid, it'll be great."

            "When do we leave?"

            Halek stood from his spot, and looked deep into the forest.

            "Just as soon as I get something.  Stay here, kid."

            "Okay."  Geoffrey knew Uncle Halek was going to get his sword.  That was the only thing out here.  So, Geoffrey waited patiently, counting the prime numbers from one to ninety-seven.

            Five years since he had last held it's weight.  Five years since he had heard it's familiar hum.  Five years since he had felt the comfortable push on his shoulder as it was sheathed.  It had been five years since he had held his sword in his hands.  It's silvery blade sent beams of light in all directions when he held it aloft.  It was a blade made by the finest blacksmith in all the seven kingdoms.  It had served his father, and his father before him.  Perhaps Halek would pass it on to Geoffrey when he was no longer capable of wielding it.  But for now, it was his.  And it would serve him and his adoptive son in their cause.

            Halek found Geoffrey in the same spot, singing a tuneless song to himself while staring at two small forest cats fight over a piece of meat. 

            "Come on, kid, let's go."

            In the deepest part of castle Candor, a shadowy figure watched the entire world through a small orb.  It watched and waited for its sign of ascension.  The crack in the crystal was only the first step.  The madman on the throne frequently conversed with it, convinced he was talking to a being of higher power.  All he was talking with, however, was just a trick of light and sound the figure had made years ago, and only now had a use for it.  The figure would talk through the illusion, planting seeds of new ideas in the king's head.  Unfortunately, the man on the throne was just about as reliable as a cat is with a fresh batch of catnip.  At least the man was a nice distraction.  

            But one thing had continually bothered the figure.  It had made sure that fathering a son was the only thing on the king's mind those five years ago.  And it worked, the king indeed had a son. But what an unforeseeable event!  A few lowly men storming into the castle and taking the child!  The figure had only begun to work its dark magic on the boy, giving him the gifts of strength and intelligence that was only surpassed by the figure itself.  Unfortunately, a lone man escaped with the child before he could be caught with it.  His other two companions were killed on the spot, and as violently as possible.  Fortunately for the man, his flight into the forest saved him, for the next week the figure made sure nothing could get in or out of the forest, or suffer a bloody end.

            That was when the figure lost the man and child for five years.  But now, clear as day, two humans can be seen on the orb, walking calmly out of the forest as if on a simple Sunday walk.  The figure vowed to get that child back, even if it meant he must die before he can be returned.

            But for now, the figure once again indulged the fantasies of the off-rocker king of Candor: 

"You disturb me, mortal?"  

**          Note: **  Chapter two.  I know there wasn't much action, blood, or suffering in this chapter, but just wait.  Things will definitely heat up at the story progresses.  Oh yeah, each chapter will probably be set five years after the previous one.  This story is quickly becoming a tale that will take the lifetimes of Halek and Geoffrey to tell.  But you don't mind, do you?


End file.
